Care-A-Van for Kids Celebrates 10th Anniversary

One of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital's most highly utilized and appreciated community services is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Care-A-Van for Kids provides free, roundtrip rides for children and families who otherwise would have great difficulty getting to and from their appointments at the Hospital. The program has seven donated vans used to transport patients from six surrounding counties. For low-income families, especially those with chronically ill children who require frequent trips to Packard, the program is truly indispensible.

Care-A-Van was established in 1998, when local, state, and county firefighters, along with members of the California Department of Forestry, began volunteering as drivers for the program. In its first year, drivers provided about 200 rides to patients and their families. Today, that number has risen to more than 1,200 rides per year. The program has grown thanks to efficient scheduling and the addition of a staff driver, as well as the ongoing partnership of volunteers, local businesses, and other supporters.

Gifts to the Children's Fund have also been a crucial source of funding to sustain Care-A-Van over the years. Upon reaching the 10-year milestone, the Care-A-Van team is reflecting on its future direction. Recognizing that the health of our environment is an important factor in the health of children, Care-A-Van has created a plan to ''go green'' over the next five years.

Many of the program's vans are older models that burn through gasoline at a high rate. One by one, these vans will be retired and replaced with hybrid vehicles. A fleet of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars will both preserve natural resources and lower operating costs. Currently, Care-A-Van vehicles average less than 20 miles per gallon; in the future, the program hopes to double that rate.

Following a very successful first decade, the Care-A-Van program looks forward to many more years of helping to keep kids healthy.